On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India, highlighting the years-long efforts by Washington and New Delhi to deliver justice to the victims of the deadly attack.
"We’ve extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his involvement in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together with India, we’ve long sought justice for the 166 individuals, including 6 Americans, who tragically lost their lives in these attacks. I’m pleased to see this day arrive," Rubio wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening, according to India’s time zone.
Rana, who was a 64-year-old Pakistani-born Canadian citizen, had been in U.S. custody, awaiting his extradition under the India-U.S. Extradition Treaty. The process finally came to an end after Rana ran out of all legal avenues to avoid his transfer. Indian intelligence agencies collaborated closely with U.S. authorities, resulting in the successful extradition after years of relentless efforts to bring him to justice for his role in the 2008 tragedy.
It was in a surprising turn of events that Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke by phone on the night of April 7 and testified to the depth of India-U.S. strategic ties. They also talked about additional cooperation opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region.
"It was a pleasure to meet Secretary Rubio today. We had views on the Indo-Pacific, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. We also found common ground that the Bilateral Trade Agreement has to be closed as soon as possible. Looking forward to staying in touch," Jaishankar said after their meeting.
When Rana reached New Delhi, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce asserted that Rana was extradited to India "to face justice for his role in the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks." She also added, "The United States has long stood with India in its efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrated these attacks, and as President Trump has said, the U.S. and India will continue to cooperate to fight global terrorism."
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement, too, mentioning that Rana—a convicted terrorist, Canadian national, and Pakistani native—is charged in India with conspiracy, murder, participation in a terrorist act, and forgery. The charges are against him for his suspected involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were conducted by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a foreign terrorist organization designated by the United States.
The Mumbai 2008 attacks are best remembered as being amongst the worst tragedies of Indian history.
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